Eyeglass frame with very high recoverable deformability

Abstract

An eyeglass frame wherein one of the components such as the temples, the bridge and/or the connection bar between the eyewires is made of a shaped memory alloy which is able to regain its initial shape by simple heating after having undergone a permanent deformation and a lower temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A metal eyeglass frame comprising: one of a temple, a bridge, and a bar, made of a monocrystalline shape memory alloy, said alloy being selected from one of a group of alloys based on Cu and Fe.   
     
     
       2. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said alloy is formed by one of a single crystallite and a plurality of crystallites separated by boundaries with weak disorientation.   
     
     
       3. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said shape memory alloy is selected from one of a group of alloys consisting of Cu--Al--Cu, Cu--Al--Ni, Cu--Al--Be, and Cu--Al--Mn.   
     
     
       4. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said shape memory alloy is selected from one of a group of alloys consisting of Fe--Mn--Si, Fe--Mn--Cr, and Fe--Mn--Cr--Si.   
     
     
       5. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said shape memory alloy has a transformation temperature (Af) between -100° C. and -20° C. from which martensite begins to be formed.   
     
     
       6. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said shape memory alloy is able to undergo superelastic deformation by 11%, between -40° C. and +80° C. without permanent strain.   
     
     
       7. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said one of said temple, said bridge, and said bar is formed from a wire of monocrystalline shape memory alloy with a cross section framable in a circle having a diameter less than 4 mm.   
     
     
       8. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said monocrystalline shape memory alloy is directly weldable to other components which form part of the frame and said other components are made of metal alloys commonly used in making eyeglasses.   
     
     
       9. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 8, further comprising: eyewires directly welded to said temples.   
     
     
       10. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 8, further comprising: a torsion bar directly welded to said temple;   an eyewire connected to said torsion bar.   
     
     
       11. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said monocrystalline shape memory alloy is directly weldable to non shape memory alloys.   
     
     
       12. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, wherein: an eyewire is connected to said temple;   said one of said temple, said bridge, and said bar include reduced thickness zones, said reduced thickness zones being located in one of contact zone between said eyewire and said temple, a substantially midlength position of said temple, a substantially middle position of said bridge, and a substantially middle position of said bar.   
     
     
       13. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: a lens directly attached to said bridge, said lens being one of directly attached to a hinge which is directly attached to said temple, and directly attached to said temple.   
     
     
       14. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 1, wherein: said one of said temple, said bridge, and said bar have zones subjected to conventional thermomechanical treatment to change a behavior of said alloy from a superelastic behavior to a plastic behavior for adjustment of said one of said temple, said bridge, and said bar.   
     
     
       15. A metal eyeglass frame comprising: one of a temple, a bridge, and a bar, made of a shape memory alloy, said shape memory alloy being selected from one of a group of alloys consisting of Fe--Mn--Si, Fe--Mn--Cr, and Fe--Mn--Cr--Si.   
     
     
       16. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 15, wherein: said shape memory alloy is monocrystalline.   
     
     
       17. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 15, wherein: said alloy is formed by one of a single crystallite and a plurality of crystallites separated by boundaries with weak disorientation.   
     
     
       18. An eyeglass frame having at least a portion thereof fabricated from a monocrystalline shape memory alloy, said alloy being selected from one of a group of alloys based on Cu and Fe. 
     
     
       19. A metal eyeglass frame comprising: one of a temple, a bridge, and a bar, made of a shape memory alloy, said shape memory alloy being selected from one of a group of alloys consisting of Cu--Al--Cu, Cu--Al--Ni, Cu--Al--Be, and Cu--Al--Mn.   
     
     
       20. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 19, wherein: said shape memory alloy is monocrystalline.   
     
     
       21. An eyeglass frame in accordance with claim 19, wherein: said alloy is formed by one of a single crystallite and a plurality of crystallites separated by boundaries with weak disorientation.